Big Block End-Grain Butcher Block

This is my second butcher block. Like the first one I made, this was made with nominal 3” turning stock. In this case the woods are cherry, walnut, black ash and mahogany. The flattening was done with my 3” x 21” belt sander (60 grit) and the final surfacing was done with card scrapers instead of sand paper. I routed the finger-grips on bottom, but I chose not to put a juice groove on the top. The dimensions are 14.5” x 12” x 2.4”. I didn’t get a weight on this one, but it is hefty. The edges were rounded over with a 3/8” roundover bit, but I had to do a little clean up with the scrapers.

The finish was done with 4 applications diluted USP grade mineral oil (cut with one part mineral spirits) and then the block was sealed with two light applications of diluted General Finishes Salad Bowl Finish (2 parts mineral spirits to one part Salad bowl finish). I buffed with 0000 steel wool between applications of the salad bowl finish. The salad bowl finish was used mainly so that the end-grain ash would have a little bit of a seal to it – the varnish soaks into the end grain and cures making it much less absorbent. Visually there was not much difference between the cherry and the ash, but I like the way the that grained popped in both.

Here are a couple of pictures of the dry fit-up

I had originally thought about aligning the center mahogany stripe, but I decided that I would use the inherent off-set in the final glue-up so as not to lost the extra 1/4” of width.

Precise clean clear cutting/wish my table saw was as accurate ! , the chopping board my next door CM asked for turned out to be rustic ! still useable, but not an art/work like yours ,excellent skills there,congratulations ,well done.